


I Knew You When

by Crazejen



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-06-28 07:05:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19807183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazejen/pseuds/Crazejen
Summary: AU: Bellamy is a game designer who has been out of work, Clarke has taken over her father's company and is struggling to maintain the stability of the company.  Memories come rushing back when Bellamy interviews for a position at the company and gets hired.  Will they be able to overcome their differences or will old wounds keep them apart?





	1. May We Meet Again

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, I didn't want this to be so long. It's already longer than I intended, thus it is a little rushed! I've been struggling with a lot lately so I'm sorry if it seems clunky or cheesy. I'm sure it's a lot shorter than other fics written, but this is what I've got. I just hope you enjoy my modern AU of Bellarke :)

Bellamy took a deep breath, releasing it with a puff as he fidgeted fixing his tie. He stepped out of his room, opening his arms wide and spinning once.

  
“How do I look?” He asked his younger sister who sat on the couch scribbling in her notebook. She looked up, smiling.

“Wow, you look good, Bell.”

  
“Thanks. Do you think I look good enough for the interview?” He adjusted his tie again nervously, he could feel the palms of his hands starting to sweat.

  
Octavia shook her head, leaning back against the couch. “Seriously? You’re going to nail this interview, Bell. I don’t know why you always second guess yourself. They are going to love you!” She said gesturing at him.

  
Bellamy snorted. “Yeah, well, the last company didn’t love me very much, why should this one?” He frowned, pulling his shoes on and lacing them carefully.

  
“Okay, you’ve got to stop using that company as an excuse. Those guys were absolute bastards and they didn’t deserve you anyway,” She exclaimed, shoving her homework off her lap. She went to him, straightening his tie for the final time, making sure it was just right. “You have nothing to worry about.”

He smiled, shaking his head. “Wish I could be as confident as you are.”

  
“You are as confident as I am. Shit, you taught me how to be confident. Don’t let those jerks make you feel lesser than when you are greater. Just, stroll in there and own it!” She patted his shoulder, stepping out of the way.

  
“Now go get ‘em!”

\-----

No matter what his sister said, he felt his stomach flip-flopping as he stared up at the glass building shooting up into the sky. He swallowed hard, shaking off the nerves. He could do this, he just had to believe he could do it.

  
“You got this,” he murmured to himself, pushing the door open and walking through the polished lobby. Everything about this place screamed money, power, and influence. From the golden elevator doors, the marble floors, and the walls simply dripping in expensive artworks flourishing here and there, he could feel himself shrinking the closer he got to his interview.

  
He stopped at the receptionist desk on the tenth floor.

  
“Good morning, I’m here for an interview?”

  
“Name?” The woman asked blandly without lifting her eyes from her computer screen.

  
“Bellamy Blake.”

  
The woman clicked rapidly, remaining silent. “Ah, here you are. Two O’clock. You can wait around the corner.” She pointed.

  
“Thank you.” He took a seat, glancing around. No one else was there, he wondered if he was the only one here for the interview or if they actually scheduled people separately to make it less intimidating.

  
The time ticked by slowly, leaving him antsy. He could feel himself starting to think he was making a mistake. Once an hour passed, he stood, ready to run for it instead of wait another second in this place. Why was he even here? He wondered. This place was too rich for him.

  
“Mr. Blake?” A woman stood at one of the doors, holding a clipboard in her hand.

  
“Yes?” He replied.

  
“They are ready for you.” She led him into a room with a panel of three people.

  
The interview went without much incident. None of them seemed particularly interested or uninterested, their expressions were vague and Bellamy felt that if they held still long enough they could be statues.

  
“Thank you, Mr. Blake. Now regrettably, we are just the calm before the storm. Your final interview is going to be with our CEO. She makes all the final decisions in hiring for this position as you will be working very closely with her.” The man with dark hair and glasses said, smiling. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you will do great.”

  
Bellamy was really getting tired of hearing those words. He felt a strange queasiness wash over him, why was he feeling so uneasy? He smiled, thanking them before leaving.

\-----

“How did it go?” Octavia asked as soon as he was through the door.

  
“I have a second interview, apparently it will be the deciding factor on whether I’m hired or not.” He sank down into a chair, sighing heavily as he loosened his tie.

  
“Wow! That’s amazing. You pretty much have this job in the bag then!” She came out of the kitchen, waving the spoon around wildly, cheese flying onto the walls.

  
“Easy, O! We need to eat the food not paint with it.” He shielded his face from the spray, laughing.

  
“Whoops. Oh well, it won’t hurt anything. Are you hungry?” She asked dipping back into the kitchen.

  
“Starving.”

  
“Good. I made a huge vat of mac n’ cheese! We’ll have it for a few days.”

  
Bellamy laughed, heading into the kitchen attempting to forget what the next couple of days would hold for him.

\-----

Once more, Bellamy found himself staring at the looming structure. He braced himself, taking the elevator packed with people and stepping off on his floor. The secretary, again, did not lift her eyes to look at him, pointing instead. He took a seat in the same spot as before, looking around the room. Everything looked the same as last time, he wasn’t sure why that was something he thought about.

  
Another young man waited in the same room this time, his long hair slicked back from his eyes. He was slumped back, playing with his phone. Bellamy decided not to try and make conversation. He knew the sign of “on phone, don’t want to talk”. Octavia often sat like that, her face scrunch in annoyance.  
“Blake?” The same woman smiled at him.

  
“Yes.” He stood, returning the smile and following her.

  
“So, what is the CEO like?”

  
The woman looked at him, her smile staying exactly the same, no sign of emotions.

“You’re about to find out.” She knocked on a set of double-doors. “Miss Griffin, your interview is here.”

  
‘Griffin?’ Bellamy’s stomach twisted violently as he stepped into the room. His eyes widened in shock as he saw her standing there by the window, blonde hair tucked into a loose ponytail, she turned and her smile faltered.

  
“You!” Bellamy exclaimed.

\-------  
_**One Day Ago...**_

Clarke groaned, slamming the laptop shut and earning her a hiss from Finn.

  
“I’ve told you about slamming the laptop, right? Laptops aren’t meant to be handled so-”

“-Roughly! I already know and I don’t care. It’s my damn computer.” She sat up. “How are we ever going to meet these numbers? We are nowhere near close enough!”

  
“I thought that’s why we were hiring new talent?” Finn said, arching a brow, his arms tucked behind his back.

  
“That’s exactly why I’m hiring new talent, but no one is passing the panel! Everyone keeps either, running or flunking.” She ran a hand through her hair, tugging at the ends.

  
“They are a rough bunch. That’s why you put them there though, to keep anyone who wasn’t good enough from getting in. Don’t worry too much, I’m sure someone will make it.” Finn squeezed her shoulder. Clarke stiffened under his touch, then relaxed a little, sighing as she rested her forehead on her folded hands.

  
“I don’t know how dad did this,” she whispered. “I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to take over, still…” She trailed off, straightening up.

  
She remembered one other thing her father told her not to trust everyone, no matter how sweet they were. She smiled at Finn, despite those words, she wanted someone to trust. She needed to lean on someone, anyone. He just happened to be the one closest to her in the company.

  
“Thank you, Finn.”

  
“Sure thing. Look, just trust your gut, okay? It’s never steered you wrong.” He paused on his way out, looking back. “Want coffee?”

  
“Yes!” She chirped, sitting up straight. “Please.” She cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks turn red.

  
Finn smiled. “Alright, I got it.”

  
Clarke opened the laptop, staring at the numbers on the screen until they became a blur in her vision, she felt tears starting to form in her eyes.

  
“I’m sorry, dad.”

\----

“Hey, good morning!” Finn handed Clarke a cup of coffee, smiling brightly as she frowned, taking a sip.

  
“Define good.”

  
“I guess you haven’t heard yet,” he said, tilting his head.

  
She raised her eyebrows. “Go on.”

  
“Someone passed the panel. Apparently he is one of the best they have ever seen,” Finn said, shrugging. “He must be something if he got past those people.”

  
Clarke sat up straighter, feeling a small tug of joy. “Really? Someone finally made it?”

  
“Yep and you get to interview him and make sure he is what you are looking for.”

  
Clarke felt her heart leap into her throat. “Final interview… I have to do that?”

  
“Um, yeah. It’s kinda part of your job, you know because of how close you two will be working. That’s not the usual, I’m sure you’re wondering. It’s just for this position. It’s hard to fill, even your dad had a tough time of it.” Finn sank down into one of the chairs across the desk from her.

  
“You’re going to do great.”

  
Clarke nodded, gulping her coffee instead of answering. All of this pressure to make everything right, to make sure they didn’t collapse under the weight of their debts, she wanted to scream. The only thing she could do was get someone in who had fresh ideas and was willing to go the extra mile. They needed help, and fast.

Clarke twisted her hands under the desk, she wasn’t used to interviewing the workers, this was all new to her. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. Finally, she stood, going to the window to look at the city below. It stretched out in shining gleam of silver, the edge of the city far off in the distance.

“Dad, I'm scared. I don’t want to fail you and this company, but… everything is a mess. Ever since-” She stopped, clearing her throat. “I just want to do right by your legacy.”

  
A knock sounded on the door.

  
“Your interview is here,” Called Whitney.

  
“Let him in,” she said, keeping her back to the door. Whoever this man was, she had to believe he was the missing link she was looking for. Slowly, she turned, smiling. When she saw who it was, her smile fell as her heart thudded hard in her chest. It couldn’t be him, why was it him?

  
“You!” He said, his tone anything but friendly.

  
“B-Bellamy....”

\----  
It was like a bad dream standing right in front of him, his stomach twisted and he felt sick at the sight of her. She reminded him of everything bad that had happened to his mother and all he wanted was to storm out of the room and never look back.

  
“I mean, Mr. Blake,” she corrected herself, her cheeks flushed as she fidgeted. “I-I didn’t realize you were the candidate who made it past the panel.” She tried to smile, only to make it look more like a grimace. “Please, take a seat.”

  
Bellamy hesitated, did he really want to go through with this? He clenched his fists, sitting on the very edge of the chair, ready to leave when he felt he heard enough.”  
“I did not realize this was your family’s company,” he said sourly.

  
Clarke nodded. “Yes, I just took it over from my father. He’s been ill and needed rest.” She paused, studying him. “Bellamy-”

  
“If you could just call me Mr. Blake, that would make me feel less uncomfortable,” he said curtly.

She blinked, startled by his tone. “Alright, Mr. Blake, I apologize. You’re right, this is a formal interview. So, tell me, Mr. Blake, what makes you suited for this position?”

  
“Is that really the question?”

  
“Pardon?”

  
Bellamy scoffed. “I have experience in the gaming field. I’ve worked on designs and creating for five years, and I was awarded for my works. That’s how I feel I am suited.”

  
“Of course, your work is spoken of a lot in our business. However, I see you lost your job about a year ago and it seems like you haven’t been able to find work since. May I ask why?”

  
He stiffened, his hands coming together tightly in his lap. “That’s personal.”

  
“I see. Mr. Blake, I’m going to be candid with you, we really need someone who is going to bring fresh ideas to the table. Someone who is going to inspire this company to do bigger and better things. We can only skate on our successes for so long before we fall through the ice, I don’t want to see that day and I know my employees don’t either. Do you think you could be the missing link we need to make this company more than it’s previous successes?” She asked, leaning forward, her forearms resting on the edge of the desk.

  
Bellamy wanted to say something nasty, something out of anger, but he took a deep breath instead.

“I’ve been working on an idea that would be useful to any company that wanted to listen. An idea that would really draw players in and give them a different experience.”  
“Oh? Would you mind sharing some this idea?”

  
“I would. See, Ms. Griffin, I don’t like you. I don’t like your father and I don’t like your company. Before you say anything, let me finish. I only applied here because I was desperate and now I see I’ve made a mistake. So no, Ms. Griffin, I won't share my ideas or anything else with you. Good day.” He stood, marching toward the door.

  
“W-Wait!” Clarke stood, feeling the surge of despair. “Please, I’ll pay you anything you want.”

  
Bellamy turned to face her, half-way through the door. “That was always your family’s problem, Griffin. You thought money could fix everything.” He shredded his resume throwing it into the trash can by her door and slammed her office door shut behind him

\-----

Clarke stared at the door for a long time after he was gone, she could hardly believe what had just happened. Bellamy Blake had walked into her office and then stormed off just as quickly, the sight of him had startled her, she could still feel herself shaking from shock.

  
“Griffin?” Finn’s voice made her look up.

  
“Hm?”

  
“Are you alright? Where’s the guy?” He looked around the room.

  
Clarke sank into her chair, clearing her throat. “He said he would consider it.”

  
“Consider it? Does he have any idea how hard it is to get this position?” Finn snapped, drawing closer. Clarke rubbed her temples, sighing.

  
“I guess not. Don’t worry, I’m sure he will take it.”

  
“Should I be worried? Any time someone says don’t worry, I always feel I should worry,” Finn said, chuckling.

  
Clarke shrugged, struggling to put on a brave face. She wasn’t really sure how she was going to get Bellamy to work here, but she knew she needed him. He was her only hope at success. She wondered why she hadn’t thought of him earlier, he was one of the most brilliant game designers she’d ever met. The world just needed to see how amazing he was.

“Clarke? Clarke… did you hear me?”

  
“Uh, no. Sorry, I’ve got a lot to think about, Finn. I’m going to call it a day.” She stood, grabbing her purse. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She left quickly, not waiting for him to respond.

  
She wasn’t sure how she was going to get him back, but she needed to be alone if she was going to think of a strategy.

  
Clarke flipped through the folder on her table, paging carefully as she looked over everything. She ran her hand through her hair, without a winning idea her company would sink in less than a year. She pressed her face into her hands.

  
“What am I going to do?” she whispered. Her phone buzzed, she looked down at it.

  
“Finn…” she said, opening the text.

  
_‘Hey Griffin, just checking up on you. I hope you’re okay. Don’t worry about anything, alright? We are going to make it.’_

  
She pushed her phone away. “I wish I could believe that,” she muttered. Clarke gripped her coffee mug, she needed a win and she knew where to get one. She stood up, grabbing her keys and her purse. He wasn’t going to like this, but she had no other choice.


	2. Glimmer

“Bell, why aren’t you talking about the interview? It’s been two days!” Octavia said, throwing her book down onto the table. “I’m getting really sick of your stoic silence. You wouldn’t tell me what was happening or why you didn’t get the job. So what is it?”

“Sorry, O. It just… it didn’t go well.” He put the last plate on the table. “When did Murphy and Raven say they were coming over?” He asked, trying to change the subject. 

Octavia’s lips pursed. “I know what you’re trying to do and it’s not going to work with me. I don’t know why you’re hiding it, but I wish you would just trust me with the truth.”

Bellamy didn’t reply, instead busying himself with setting the table, pushing Octavia’s book out of the way and placing a mat in front of her. Octavia glared at him, her arms crossed as he set the dishware, he glanced at the clock.

“O, when did-”

“Six, Bell. They said they’d be here around six. Remember not to bring up Emori, Murphy is still sore about that,” she said, purposefully pushing her fork out of alignment on the placemat. Bellamy rolled his eyes.

“I know. It’s going to be weird without Emori around, I really liked her. Honestly, she was John’s best girlfriend.”

Octavia sighed, nodding solemnly. “Yes, he doesn’t know how to hold onto them.”

“Well, you’ve been rooting for him and Raven for a while, shouldn’t you be happy?” He quirked a brow smiling at her frown.

“Hey now! I  _ was _ rooting for those two because they would have been adorable together, but I love Emori. I’m not going to stop talking to her because John’s an idiot, by the way.”

“You think I’m going to? Please. She helped me a lot when-” He stopped short, they both fell into somber silence. Bellamy cleared his throat.

“Anyway, she’s our friend now. No reason for it to stop being that way.”

The doorbell rang, interrupting the heavy silence. 

Octavia stood, opening the door.

“Hey!” She hugged Raven tightly. “Glad you could make it. Hey, John!” She opened her arms wide to the rough looking man.

He scoffed. “I’m not a hugger, O, and the breakup doesn’t change that.”

Octavia rolled her eyes, stepping out of his way. “As prickly as ever I see,” she muttered, closing the door behind him.

“Wow, that looks so good!” Raven exclaimed as Bellamy placed his homemade lasagna on the table. “Geez, I need you to make me more food.”

“Why don’t you just learn to cook?” Murphy asked, receiving a swift kick from Raven under the table. 

He winced. “Holy shit, Reyes!”

“Steel-toed boots?” Octavia asked. 

Raven nodded and they exchanged a high-five.

“Alright, alright. Let’s just have a nice dinner okay?” Bellamy said sitting down across from Raven and Octavia.

“How did the interview go?” Raven inquired, taking a bite out of the cheesy lasagna. 

“Who the fuck knows. He won’t tell me anything and it’s doubtful he will tell you,” Octavia interjected before Bellamy could say anything. 

“Sorry, it just… it wasn’t what I was hoping.” 

“Don’t worry about it, bud. You’ll get something.” John patted Bellamy on the shoulder making everyone stare. “What? I can be nice.”

The group laughed, changing the subject to happier things. They enjoyed a pleasant evening, going back for seconds on the lasagna. When desert was being served the doorbell chimed again.

Bellamy looked at Octavia puzzled.

“We aren’t expecting anyone else, right?”

Octavia shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of.”

Bellamy opened the door, stopping short of everyone seeing who was there.

“What are you doing here?” He asked gruffly.

Raven, Octavia, and Murphy all leaned around trying to see who was at the door. Murphy cried out as his chair completely toppled over. He grunted.

“That wasn’t great,” he muttered.

“Who is it?” Raven hissed.

Octavia turned to them, whispering: “It’s Clarke Griffin.”

Murphy and Raven’s eyes widened. “What?” They replied in unison, Murphy straightening his chair.

“This just got awkward,” he said quietly, taking his seat again.

“May I come in?” Clarke said, her voice carrying into the room.

“We are having dinner,” Bellamy replied, his voice still rough. 

“Oh, I’m sorry… I…” she hesitated, they could almost see her fidgeting like she used to in school. “I really need to talk to you, Bellamy. It’s important, I won’t take much of your time.”

Raven glanced at Octavia, her eyebrows rising. They exchanged expressions lost on Murphy who decided it was better to just sit back and drink his beer rather than try and figure out what was happening.

“Fine, you can come in.” He stepped out of the way, his large frame finally revealing Clarke who looked small in the doorway. She smiled sheepishly at the other three, who waved awkwardly.

“In the living-room,” Bellamy said, gesturing to the room on the other side of the wall. He didn’t want the others to hear whatever it was she was going to say.

Clarke nodded, her heels clicking as she moved into the living-room.

“I’ll be back.” Bellamy followed her.

“Alright, what is it?” He crossed his arms, waiting for her.

Clarke sighed, slowly turning to face him. “I’m not going to mince words here, Bellamy. I want you to work for Ark Gaming. You are exactly the sort of talent we need at the company right now, especially with the awards you’ve won over the years. I know you took a break for personal reasons, but I doubt you have lost your touch. The company needs a good video game that will spark the interest of the market, with all the games that come out people are starting to look for unique ones. Something that draws them in and keeps them hooked. I’ve seen your mini games, they are amazing. I know you would make a brilliant game designer at Ark. So please, won’t you at least consider coming to work for us?” 

Bellamy stared at her, studying her body language. There was something she wasn’t saying; something that was bothering her. 

“Is that all?”

She blinked, her mouth opening for a moment and then closing. She wanted to say it, whatever it was she was hiding. 

“Bell-”

“Clarke, I don’t know what you thought was going to happen here. You know why I don't want to join your company. If I had known it was run by the Griffins, I never would have applied. Now, if that’s all you have to say-”

“Please!” Clarke exclaimed a little too loudly, she cleared her throat. “Please. I don’t have a lot of time. The company is sinking, fast.” She sank down onto the couch, her hands shaking. 

“We are barely staying afloat.”

“You know, it’s never good to tell someone you’re trying to hire that you’re about to go under,” Bellamy commented.

“We - I - need a win. One or two good games to elevate us back to where we used to be. I’m desperate. Father’s-” She choked, pressing her hands to her face. “I can’t let him down!”

The ice around Bellamy’s heart started to crack and he sighed, dropping his hands to his side. He sat down next to her, restraining himself from taking her hand in his. “How bad is it?”

She lifted her face, her blue eyes shining with tears. “It’s bad. We have about a year left and then…” She opened her hands, letting the invisible pieces fall.

He closed his eyes. “I know what it’s like to fail, Clarke, and I know what this means to you.” The urge rose in him again to hold her, to comfort her. Instead he squeezed his hands together. “I’ll do it.”

\----

Clarke stared at Bellamy, she could hardly believe he said he would help. She looked away, blinking back tears.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’ll get the paperwork started.” 

She stood, sniffing and wiping her face with a handkerchief. She felt like an idiot for crying in front of him, then again, he was always the one she turned to before the break up. 

Bellamy stood, showing her to the door. Clarke didn’t dare to look at the others, she felt exposed and vulnerable, she was sure they heard every word they exchanged. After the door shut behind her, she leaned against the wall, feeling as if she might collapse without its support.

“Shit,” she muttered, pressing a hand to her forehead. “Shit.” 

She pushed off the wall once she regained her balance and marched down the hall. Now she had to break the news to the team, Finn was not going to like it.

“Are you serious?” Finn snapped, his eyes wide with anger. “After everything that happened between you two? You asked him to work here?”

“Finn! He’s the only one who passed the panel. He’s a brilliant game designer, and he is honestly the only chance we really have at keeping this company from collapsing.”

“That’s not true, you could do it by yourself!”

Clarke blew air through her nose, crossing her arms over her chest. “I was in university training to be a doctor, not to design games. Bellamy has won a few awards, I don’t see why our past should conflict with our future.”

Finn sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m just saying, what if old… problems awaken and you two can’t work together? Then what?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure, and I don’t even want to begin to think about it. I need him. Besides, last I checked, I make the final decision.” She stared at him, waiting for him to object. He was smart enough to know better, he closed his eyes shaking his head.

“Alright, you win. I never could fight you for long,” he said, smiling. 

Clarke felt irritated, Finn didn’t have any right to fight her anyway, he wasn’t the CEO. She smiled stiffly, sinking into her chair.

“I expect you to be on your best behavior. No matter what issues you two have had in the past, I need you to get along with him, alright?” She quirked a brow, sitting back. When he didn’t respond right away she gripped the arms of her chair. 

“Alright?” She repeated.

“Yes, of course.” Finn smiled, excusing himself and closing the door behind him.

Clarke closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. None of this was going to be easy, but she needed to make sure everything went smoothly so that the company, the legacy her father handed to her, didn’t collapse under her command.

The pressure was tightening its hands around her neck, she felt like she couldn’t breathe some days. Leaning forward, she pressed her thumbs against the bridge of her nose. Her phone vibrated, startling her. She looked down, seeing it was her mother.

“Mom?” She answered, her brow scrunching in concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I just wanted to check up on you, dear. How is everything going?” Abby asked.

Clarke glanced around the cold, lonely office. “Good,” she lied. “I’ve just been really busy.”

“I’m sure. Your dad was always at the office.” She went silent for a beat. “Clarke, please don’t drive yourself into the ground the same way your father did. I can’t lose you too.”

Clarke’s throat burned as tears pricked her eyes. She blinked rapidly, pushing the feeling away. “I won’t, mom. I promise.”

“It’s good to hear your voice, Clarke. We need to make time to see each other soon.”

The words were supposed to be comforting, but Clarke knew they were just empty words. Her mother was always busy at the hospital, and with the company, Clarke could barely find time to be by herself. She closed her eyes, it was just a wishful thought.

“I’d like that,” she said. 

“I love you.”

“Love you too.” She hung up the phone, standing she gathered her things, ready to leave for the day. She needed to get some rest if she was going to have any ability of handling tomorrow, especially since there was so much bad blood between everyone. She only hoped Finn didn’t cause any problems for the process.

  
\-------

For the third time, Bellamy was staring up at the tall building that housed the Griffin Gaming Corp., only this time he didn’t feel hopeful, he felt uneasy. His discourse with the Griffin family went back to High School, and ever since then he hadn’t spoken to them or about them. Octavia told him not to let the past blind him to the future, but he still felt angry no matter how many times he tried to forget it.

“Here goes nothing.” He muttered, walking through the automatic glass doors. The cold air was refreshing as he walked to the security desk where a different man stood every time he came in. 

“Blake, Bellamy here for-”

“I have it, sir.” The man lifted an already made badge, handing it over to him. “Welcome to Ark Gaming.” He gave a stiff smile before looking back down at his computer. 

Bellamy nodded, slipping the lanyard over his head, the badge resting heavily on his chest. Once he was outside Clarke’s office, he didn’t want to go in.

“Blake.”

Bellamy felt himself cringe, turning to face the one man he hoped he would never see again. 

“Collins.” He replied coldly. He needed to remain professional, yet he wanted to punch this guy in his face.

Finn smiled in the way that always bugged him, it was insincere and forced. 

“Welcome to the company, I heard you would be joining us.” He held out his hand to initiate a handshake.

Bellamy clenched his fists, hesitant, then he took the other man’s hand, shaking it firmly.

“Thanks.”

Finn pushed the doors in, letting Bellamy in first. Clarke stood by one of the large windows, her hair pulled back into a tight bun, she wore a pencil skirt and suit jacket. He almost smiled, this was the girl who swore she would never work in an office.

“Good morning, dear,” Finn said, setting a cup of coffee on her desk.

Clarke turned, her expression irritated until she spotted Bellamy. “Bellamy!” she exclaimed, tugging her jacket down. He recognized her nervous habit, it wasn’t something she could ever break, despite everything she did.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she paused, looking at Finn who stood by the desk silently, his eyebrow quirked. “I see you’ve already found Finn.”

“Yeah, yeah we bumped into each other outside,” he said, nodding toward the door.

Clarke smiled, going to her chair. “Please, have a seat. I’m afraid today is going to be pretty boring for the beginning, paperwork and all that.” she gestured at the large stack of paper, and Bellamy’s eyebrows shot up.

“Wow, I’ve filled out paperwork, but never quite so much.” He sat down across from her in one of the two chairs. Finn was about to seat himself, when Clarke motioned for him to remain standing. 

“Actually Finn, if you could go check on Reyes, that would be great. I heard she threw one of the VR headsets at the guys yesterday. I just want to make sure she’s okay.”

Finn glanced between them, straightening up and smiling. “Of course, excuse me.” Once the doors clicked shut, Clarke turned back to Bellamy.

“Sorry, I know this can’t be easy-”

“Let’s not talk about that. I already agreed to help you, so don’t apologize. I knew what I was doing when I said yes,” he said.

“I get it. Right, so, here is all the paperwork-” she gently pushed the huge stack over to his side of the desk. “-That needs to be filled out. I’m sorry, really. I wish it wasn’t so much, but with all the privacy laws and stuff we have, it’s just ridiculous.”

Bellamy nodded. “I understand. Do you have a place I can work on these and not be a bother?” 

“I can set you up in a meeting room where you won’t be disturbed?” She offered.

“That’s fine.”

Once Bellamy was settled in, Clarke hesitated to leave. “Do you need coffee or anything?”

“Nope, I’m fine. Thanks.”

He watched her hesitate again, finally leaving while wringing her hands. He shook his head, looking at the stack in front of him.

“Good grief.”

\--------

Three hours later, Bellamy leaned back in his chair, sighing heavily. He was finally done, but didn’t have a way to communicate that to Clarke. He got up, deciding to have a look around. She had mentioned virtual reality earlier and he was curious to see what exactly they were invested in. 

It didn’t take much wandering to find one of the test rooms. The room was tinted, making it impossible to see into. He swiped his card, surprised when it allowed him in, he stepped into the dark room, glancing around. Two chairs sat back-to-back, headsets on each one. A woman sat in one of them, a man in the other. 

Bellamy was surprised to see this sort of high-tech equipment, honestly, this was straight out of a Sci-Fi film. He leaned back against the wall, watching on one of the large monitors that showed what they were seeing. The characters ran around, attacking, looting, and gathering things in a world that was obviously still being developed.

Then the woman screamed as something happened, snapping her screen to black. She pushed the headset off, pushing herself out of the chair furiously.

“SHIT!” She slammed her hand down on the desk across from the chairs. “Fuck!”

“Easy, Raven!” The man got up, and Bellamy instantly recognized both of them.

He stayed quiet, realizing they hadn’t noticed him yet.

“It’s not right,” she snapped, pushing a few buttons on the computer. “I can’t believe this, we worked so damn hard, Monty.”

“I know, I know it sucks, but we can fix it. This isn’t that bad, I mean, remember what we did before? That was the worst.” He smiled encouragingly, as Raven pinned him with an annoyed look. That’s when she saw him and her face when pale.

“Bellamy.”

Monty turned, his eyes wide. “Whoa! Hey Bellamy! It’s been a while.” He reached out a hand. Bellamy clasped it without hesitation, smiling as he pulled Monty in for a hug. 

“Too long. I didn’t know you were working here,” he said pulling back, his eyes shifting to Raven who recovered now and was wearing her classic “go ahead, challenge me” expression. He looked back at Monty without saying anything.

“Yeah, yeah. Some stuff kinda fell through for me and I was in a bad place,” he said, shrugging. “Clarke saw me working at a gas station convenience store and asked me if I wanted a job. I guess she was feeling sentimental. Anyway, the next thing I know, I’m here writing code and creating video games for her. It’s been a really weird ride, but I’m glad I took it.”

Bellamy nodded, he could understand all of that. His own problems with the Griffin family weren’t something he expected his friends to worry about.

“Are you mad?” Monty asked.

“What? No. Clearly, because I work here too now.” He smiled, causing Raven to look up from her console.

“Is that what she came to talk to you about that night?” Raven asked, tilting her head.

“Yeah,” he paused, not wanting to say more. “Do you two enjoy working here?”

They nodded in unison.

“Clarke has been really good to us, we have health benefits, 401K, and we get bonuses. On top of that, I still have time to pursue my green initiative,” Monty said.

Bellamy’s eyes fell on the flash of metal on Monty’s hand and his eyes widened. “Hey, wait… Monty, are you- are you married?”

Monty looked down, blushing. “Y-yeah. You remember Harper?”

“No way, really? That’s amazing!” He clapped Monty on the back happily. 

“And they are expecting,” Raven chimed in.

Bellamy laughed in surprise, his face lighting up. “That’s- Wow, that’s amazing, Monty. I am so happy for you.”

“Thanks,” Monty said, ducking is head sheepishly.

After a beat, Bellamy stepped over to the chair, examining them. “So what are you guys developing right now? This is pretty high-tech.”

Raven and Monty glanced at each other, grinning like children.

“Well, it’s going to change the way we play virtual reality games. I mean, I know we see it in movies and TV shows, but this is different. It’s immersive and you can actually  _ feel _ the things that happen,” Monty said.

“Like getting stabbed?” Bellamy asked with concern.

“No, not that shit. Like if it rains, you can feel it. When the wind blows, you feel it. If you run through water or swim, you feel it,” Raven said waving her hand.

“How does one feel that without actually getting wet?” Bellamy poked the headset doubtfully. “Do you drench the users?” He joked.

Raven was silent for a moment. “No, but we did consider that.”

“That was a dark day,” Monty said, shaking his head, his expression distant.

Raven nodded. “What we actually ended up doing was attaching sensors to the headset, making it capable of giving you those sensations. Basically it tricks your brain into thinking what’s happening on the screen is something you can feel. It’s amazing how easily you can do that.” 

“Well, as incredible as that sounds, it also sounds like you two are mad scientists.” Bellamy smirked, unable to control himself.

Monty laughed while Raven rolled her eyes, still smiling.

“I mean, I’m not going to deny that. Some days it feels like we are mad scientists,” Monty said.

Just as they were chatting about what they might do after work, the door opened and Clarke walked in, she stopped short seeing them all together.

“Oh, there you are. I went to check on you and you were gone,” she said, folding her hands in front of her, a small smile on her face. “I see you found out testing room, or one of them anyway. Reyes and Greene have been working diligently on our designs and updates.” 

“They were just telling me about all their work, it’s all very interesting. I can’t wait to see what the final product looks like,” Bellamy replied.

“Well, don’t worry, you’ll have your chance. Are you finished with the paperwork?” She asked.

Bellamy nodded. “Is there anything else I need to do in the paperwork department?”

“No, I just wanted to give you a tour around. Show you where you will be working and who you’ll be working with. We have a few game designers, but none as good as you. I’m hoping you’ll be able to give them some insight into how to make an award-winning video game, that doesn’t necessarily need flashy graphics. I know I’m more partial to 8-bit games.”

Bellamy knew that already, he knew a lot about her and all that information just sat in his head, rattling around like marbles. He couldn’t ever seem to catch them all and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to, because despite everything that had happened, when he looked at her, he could still feel his heart skip a beat. He pushed those thoughts away, following Clarke out and around the building as she showed him his work station, the people he would be with, and where they could get food and free coffee.

He barely heard a word, he could only see her: the way she moved, her hands gliding through the air gracefully as she gestured, the subtle way she tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. It was shorter now than before, no less beautiful. When she looked at him, her whole face brightened, her mouth moving up into that glorious smile. 

Bellamy remembered what it was like to touch her face, to stroke her hair. He could feel the silky strands falling through his fingers, and the way she liked him to cradle her face in the palm of his hand. He felt his hand twitch, wanting to reach out and stroke her cheek, following the trail of her jawline. 

“Bellamy.” Her voice broke him from his thoughts and he shook his head.

“What?”

“I said, are you hungry?” She tilted her head, her eyebrows pressed up in concern. 

“Oh, yeah. Food would be great.” He kicked himself inwardly, he needed to stop daydreaming like that, this was reality. His memories were just that, memory. 


	3. Don't Miss Me?

Clarke couldn’t shake the stress off her shoulders, long after she left Bellamy and went to work in her office, she still didn't know if this plan would work. She could feel the weight of thousands of jobs pressing down on her. A knock on her office door made her sit up straight, tucking her hair behind her ears.

“Come in,” she called. 

Bellamy poked his head in, stepping halfway into her office.

“Hey, you’re still here?” He asked.

“Yeah. Yeah, just finishing some other stuff. What’s up? You going?” 

He nodded, eyeing her. “Do you need anything before I go?”

She smiled, sitting back in her chair. “That’s sweet of you, Bell. Butt no, I’m okay. This is something I have to deal with on my own.”

He turned to go, but then turned back. “You told me once that your father bore the burden of this company so that no one else would have to. I can’t pretend I know what it feels like to have this many jobs weighing you down, it must feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders.”

Clarke smirked, “I think Atlas would disagree.” She ran a hand through her hair, struggling to hold back the tears she could feel forming. She wished he would just go, she hated him standing there, looking at her with understanding and kindness when all she ever did was hurt him. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to help you?” Bellamy took a step closer and Clarke felt herself involuntarily stiffen. 

“It’s fine. Thank you,” She said as politely as she could manage. She watched his expression change and he nodded curtly, finally leaving her. Once she was certain he was gone, she released a strangled breath, her hands coming up to her face as sobs racked her body.

“Clarke.”

She gasped, choking on a sob as she looked up and saw Bellamy. Hadn’t he left? She blinked rapidly, wiping at the tears, grabbing tissues to cover up her messy face.

“B-Bellamy… I thought you were gone.”

He frowned, dropping his bag on a chair and walking over to the desk. He placed a mug of steaming tea in front of her, and a small plate with her favorite cookies on it. She looked up at him, still pressing the tissues to her nose.

“Why?”

He shrugged. “Because no one can do it alone. I know that’s always been your thing, doing it alone, but it’s not mine. And you should know, you aren’t alone. You have friends, Raven, Monty, Murphy-”

Clarke snorted, rolling her eyes. “Murphy…” she trailed off.

“What happened between you two? He won’t talk about it either.”

Clarke pulled the tissues away, her mouth a firm line, her eyebrows knit in anger. “I get why he won’t talk about it. We didn’t part on the best of terms.”

Bellamy sank down in the chair across from her, taking in her defensive position. He waited calmly for her to talk, if that’s what she wanted.

She should tell him, she should say what John said to her and the way he made her feel so small. She never thought he would turn on her like that, but he did, like a mad dog, teeth bared. Clarke could still feel his breath on her face as he screamed at her.

She cleared her throat. “When the… incident happened, I was on my way to class when I saw John coming toward me. I didn’t think anything of it, I figured he was just coming to talk. Then he grabbed my arm roughly, dragging me into an empty classroom and making sure no one followed us. I wasn’t sure what he was going to do or why he was acting like this, then he turned on me and I’ve never seen him look like that.” She shuddered at the memory, rubbing her arms.

“He started talking in a low growl and then finally he started yelling. He was so close to me, and all I could do was back away until I hit a wall. I was shaking so badly that I couldn’t even think straight, he just kept screaming at me until finally he pulled back, gave me one last look and then left. I sat and cried in that room for two hours before I finally had the strength to get up and leave. I didn’t even go to class, I went home.” She shook her head. “I haven’t spoken to him since.”

Bellamy stayed quiet for a while, his expression unreadable. “It’s easy to forget that Murphy has such a bad temper when he is your friend, he only uses that on those he dislikes. Still, he shouldn’t have done that to you. What happened was between us, not him and you. I’m sorry he did that to you, Clarke, it wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair.”

Clarke shook her head. “You don’t have to apologize for his actions. I can’t really blame him at all, especially not after what happened. I just… I lost everyone after that. No one wanted to talk to me, no one wanted to be my friend. I felt utterly alone and lost.” She picked up the tea, sipping it, smiling a little. Of course it was her favorite tea, he never forgot anything.

They sat in a strained silence until Clarke finally sat up, putting the mug down. “I still don’t understand why you are here, Bellamy. You should hate me now. When I showed up at your apartment, I was sure you were going to slam the door in my face.”

“But you showed up anyway,” he said.

“Yes. I didn’t know what else to do, like I said. I’m out of ideas, I’m almost out of time. This is my burden to bear, so why try and bear it with me?” She asked.

Clarke wondered if he would even bother to answer her, when he did, it shocked her.

“I was mad at you for a long time. All I wanted to do what forget what happened that day and how it all went down. I tried my best to move on from you and your family, I even won awards and went to college, got a degree and then my masters. No matter where I went or what I did, your face haunted me. It was there in the back of my mind, always there. Tell me, was it so easy for you to forget me? Did you just brush my memory away like a stray piece of hair?” He asked, his tone angry.

There it was, she gripped her mug, the anger she knew he had toward her. “So why come work for me if you still hate me?”

“I didn’t say that. I’m angry, Clarke. Angry because you decided it was going to be that way without ever even talking to me. You did what you always do, you did what was best for you in the moment. I knew you had that in you, I just never thought you would do it to me. Imagine my surprise when you broke it off after my mother was accused of embezzlement from your father’s company.”

Clarke couldn’t break eye contact with him no matter how much she wanted to, she could feel the excuses bubbling up inside of her, the ones that made her sound right. Now that she was facing him, she knew she couldn’t say those things.

“I thought I was doing what was best for us, I can see I was wrong. I didn’t want you to feel pressured to keep dating the girl whose father fired your mother. I couldn’t stand the idea of you hating every second of the time we spent together, that’s why I broke up with you before you could break up with me—to squash my disappointment,” she whispered, her voice strangled in her throat.

Bellamy shook his head, “Clarke, if you think for a second that I would ever have left you just because your father fired my mom, then you never knew me like I thought you did.” 

Clarke gritted her teeth, wishing she could deny what he was saying. She knew it was true, he never would have left her. Instead, she allowed her own fears and need to protect herself get in the way of her friendships and relationships. She turned her head away, struggling against the sharp pain she felt in her chest.

Bellamy stood finally, tucking his hands into his pockets. 

“I never would have let anything happen to us. I just wish you had felt the same,” he said, his voice holding that telltale sign of disappointment that Clarke recognized. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Clarke.” 

She didn’t say anything, and once he was out of the room her head fell forward and she sobbed, this time, alone. 

  
  


“Hey,” Octavia said, leaning in her brother’s doorway. 

He looked up at her questioningly. 

“What are you going to do about Clarke? Bell, are you really going to pretend that you don’t still have feelings for her?”

Bellamy sighed frustrated. “Not now, O.”

“It’s been two weeks since you started, so when? You always do this whenever I mention Clarke. I mean, I get it, she hurt you. She hurt us all. But you can’t keep living with this anger you feel. I’ve seen the way you look when you are thinking about her. I think you should give her a chance.”

“Seriously? She was your mom too! And Clarke just-” He pursed his lips, shaking his head. “I’m not doing this today. I have to go to work, make sure you get to class on time.”   
“Whatever, it’s college!”

“College is important!” He tossed over his shoulder as he left. 

He couldn’t believe Octavia. When everything was said and done, she had been just as mad as he was. Now, she seemed to have softened toward the idea of having Clarke back in their lives, he closed his eyes as he felt the bus rumbling beneath his feet. He wanted to forgive Clarke more than anything. He wanted to tell her he would protect her and her company. 

Bellamy looked up, staring out the window. He would have gone to hell and back for her. Why didn’t she know that? 

When he arrived at Ark Gaming, he paused. Through the crowd of people bustling along in their own lives, he could see the bright shimmer of her blonde hair. She turned to face him, her face soft as she slowly smiled.

Bellamy approached her, stopping in front of her. “What are you doing?” He asked.

“Waiting for you,” she said. She looked like she wanted to say more, he willed her to say the words, but instead she just looked away. 

“We should get inside.”

He hesitated, wanting to say something. Instead, he sighed, reaching up to tug his ear. He wasn’t sure why he felt so awkward, he wanted this to work out for both of them, and not because he still cared about her. Bellamy stood in the elevator next to her, feeling his heart pick up pace as she stepped closer to him when more people joined them. Her shoulder pressed against his arm and she looked up at him giving him an apologetic smile.

He smiled in response, shrugging slightly.

They waited in the crowded elevator as people dispersed to their own floors until they were alone and stepped off on their floor. 

“So, do you still take your coffee the same?” Clarke asked.

“Yeah.”

“Great, I’ll bring you some, and we can go over the plan to keep the company from falling to pieces,” she said, her voice sounding more confident than she did yesterday. 

“Glad to see you have your fighting spirit back,” he said.

Clarke looked up at him, opening her mouth to say something, and then she closed it. Nodding firmly. “I’ll be back.” 

Bellamy found the glass office uncomfortable. It wasn’t nearly as big as Clarke’s, but it still was a lot larger than he was used to and the generic desk, chair combination was stiff. He dropped his bag onto the desk, sighing as he took a seat in the brand new chair. He made a face as he adjusted it until it was at a better height.

“Hey, sorry that took so long,” Clarke said coming into the room, two coffees in hand. “Did you already log into your computer?” she placed his cup by his hand and took a seat across from him.

“Not yet. I’m just… trying to get used to this very exposing office,” He said, pushing the power button to start up his computer.

“Oh.” Clarke stood, walking to the glass, she tapped it twice and it frosted over. “There, all fixed. It’s just two taps for privacy, one tap to return it to normal.” 

Bellamy nodded, still feeling uncomfortable. “Thanks, this office is really nice.”

Clarke smiled, taking a seat. “Alright, so I figured we would jump straight into it. My plan is to start small, I mean, we definitely need a hard hitting game to get us off the ground. But we need to make sure we are drawing people’s attention. I found that the best way to gain an audience's attention is to make something that attracts them while also being fresh and new. I think we should do a small game with 8-bit pixels as a little intro game to what is to come. What do you think?”

Bellamy listened, jotting down a few notes. 

“I like that idea, but what are you doing for big picture? Monty and Raven are working on a fully immersive world, why don’t we build up to that?”

Clarke sat forward. “Do you know what that story is?”

“Why don’t you tell me? It would be a waste of resources to not at least try.”

Clarke rattled off the story in a summary, at the end she shrugged. “It’s still lacking, I think.”

“Well, the idea is good, it just needs a little fine-tuning. I have an idea for a story that could really launch this game. Give me a day and I’ll write up a draft and pitch it to you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? That’s quick.”

“It’s just an overview of what I’m thinking. But this game isn’t going to be easy, and we are going to need all hands on deck,” Bellamy said, resting back in his seat.

Clarke smiled, standing. “Perfect. I’ll let you get to it, let me know if you need me.”

Bellamy nodded, pulling up a word document, starting the draft for his idea. He spent all night typing away at the plan for this game. He knew exactly how he wanted it to go, which characters would live and which would die. All the playable and non-playable. Before he knew it, the sun was rising and he looked at the clock.

6AM.

“Shit,” He said, sitting back in his chair. Bellamy grabbed his phone, seeing a few missed texts from Octavia. He replied quickly to let her know he wasn’t dead.

_ Bzzt. Bzzt. _

Bellamy looked at the text:

_ “‘Bout time you replied! Knock ‘em dead. Then come home, jerk.” _

He shook his head, smiling as he stood to refresh his coffee. He had a little time to refine everything before Clarke came in. Bellamy found the kitchen again without much difficulty and started the coffee machine.

A dark shadow moved next to him and he turned his head seeing Finn standing next to the sink, washing his coffee tumbler.

“Did you stay here all night?” He asked without looking at Bellamy.

“Does it matter if I did?”

Finn smirked, straightening to grab paper towels and started drying his cup. 

“Not really, I just wondered how dedicated you are to this job. Obviously, you’re very dedicated or maybe you’re here for something more?” He arched a brow. Bellamy knew what he was implying.

“I’m not going into this with you, Finn.” 

“Why?” Finn stepped in front of the taller man, crossing his arms. “Because you know I would win?”

Bellamy tilted his head, pulling to his full height. “I told you a long time ago why. Do you really want me to repeat myself?”

Finn snorted. “We aren’t kids anymore, Bellamy. You can’t intimidate me.”

“If we aren’t kids, maybe you should grow up, Finn. Clarke can do as she pleases, no one has ever been able to control her. You should know that by now,” Bellamy said, pushing past Finn. He returned to his office, letting the confrontation stew in his mind.

Finn had always been jealous of his relationship with Clarke, even in high school. He would always try to interfere with them, making it hard to have moments alone in school. That’s when Raven, Monty, and Murphy would intervene. None of them liked him either, despite the fact that back then Murphy was known as the “bad seed” in school. He eventually turned his life around, and they all grew closer over the summers. 

Bellamy smiled remembering those days, it was such a long time ago it almost felt like a different life. He stopped in the hall, seeing Clarke. She stood with her back to him, the sunlight pouring in around her, giving her a heavenly glow. He couldn’t control himself, staring at her, his heart began to ache. 

Clarke turned around, she was always able to sense him. She met his gaze and her face brightened at the sight of him.

“Bellamy,” she said, waving her hand. “Good morning.”

“G-” Bellamy cleared his throat, struggling with the lump in his throat. “Good morning.”

“How did everything go?” She asked, approaching him. 

She looked casual today, less strict and professional. Jeans, a button down white shirt, and converse. Bellamy zeroed in on her shoes, his heart almost stopped. Those were the shoes he bought her before they broke up. They were in perfect condition, like the day he bought them for her.

“Bellamy?” She stopped in front of him, looking up at him. “Did you sleep here?” She reached up, pushing curls from his freckled face, her hand lingering on his cheek.

“Uh…” He pulled back a little, even though he wanted to lean into her touch. “Yeah. No! I didn’t sleep, I was working,” He replied, running a hand through his tangled curls.

“You really stayed here?” Clarke’s expression was confused and concerned. She obviously hadn’t expected him to dedicate himself to this project like that. Did she really still think he wouldn’t do anything for her?

Bellamy smiled. “It’s not a big deal. I got my work done. I just need to edit it and then I’ll be ready for our meeting.”

Clarke nodded, her hand hovering in the air between them before it fell to her side.

“Well, I'll see you then.” She smiled and left. He watched her go for a moment and sighed, going back to his office. 


	4. Wish You Were Here

Clarke closed her office door, tapping the glass to ice over. She pressed her back against the door, her hand over her mouth as she struggled to breathe. 

Damn, Bellamy had looked good. Why was she even thinking of that when her father’s company was crumbling beneath her? She closed her eyes, feeling the sadness seep up inside of her uncontrollably. She wanted more than anything to hold him and to be held by him. Clarke choked on a sob, her hand pressing harder over her mouth so no one passing would hear her gasping for air.

_ ‘Get ahold of yourself!’ _ She chided, straightening up and wiping the lingering tears from her eyes. She couldn’t fall apart right now, she needed to be strong and bear it so that the others didn’t have to. 

Clarke sat down at her desk, turning on the screen and scrolling through her emails. A knock on the door made her look up and she unlocked it with the button on the desk.

Finn poked his head in, smiling. 

“I brought you coffee!” He said cheerfully, holding up the cup.

“Thanks, I totally forgot. I’m just trying to get through my emails before my meeting with Bellamy.” She accepted the coffee, sipping at it.

“Yeah. I wanted to talk to you about him. I don’t think he is going to work with us, honestly. Clarke, he’s always been such an arrogant bastard. How can you trust him again after everything?” 

“I’m not sure why it’s your business to question the decisions I make, Finn.” She replied, bristling at his words. Now that she had Bellamy back in her life, she remembered why Finn was always such a problem. No matter what, he never failed to try and convince her that Bellamy was wrong for her.

“I’m not, I’m just voicing a concern. I think this is a mistake.”

“Really?” Clarke stood, her expression steely. “Finn, I told you to leave your personal issues with Bellamy out of this. If you’re having a problem separating them, then maybe you need to be reassigned.”

Finn’s expression of shock told Clarke all she needed to know. He expected her to listen to him and not question his motives. It was just too bad a long time ago she learned not to trust him, he broke her once, she wouldn’t let him do that again.

“You need to leave now. Without a word,” she warned, holding up her hand as his mouth opened to object. 

Finn frowned, looking ready to argue before he turned and left, closing the door behind him. 

Clarke felt herself smile a little. For the first time since she took over the company, she was starting to feel like she was gaining control over everything. She felt her confidence growing now that she had someone she truly trusted and believed in by her side. The thought of Bellamy made her heart hurt, but she knew he was the only one she wanted to work with to save Ark Gaming. 

She wasn’t sure how long she focused on answering emails and making sure things were squared away when someone knocked on her door. She started, lifting her head.

“Come in,” she called, praying it wasn’t Finn coming back to harass her.

“Hey, I finally finished.” Bellamy stepped into the room, holding his proposal.

Clarke felt her spirits rise when she saw him. “Oh, I was so lost in emails I didn’t even realize what time it was. Wow, well, let’s get started.”

Bellamy took a seat across from her. “Right here is my idea,” he said, offering her a copy of the proposal. “It’s still a little rough, but it leaves room for creativity and growth. The main story is lined up. We can definitely get some opinions on side missions and stuff like that.” 

Clarke read over the idea as he spoke, and she blinked rapidly. 

“Bellamy, this… this is brilliant! It’s perfect. A mix of zombie-survival game and sci-fi. I really love it.” She looked up at him, smiling. “How do you think of these things?”

“I’ve been sitting on this idea for a while. I really wanted to flesh it out before making a game out of it. It’s going to be a long game that will take time to produce and design, but if it works, I think people will love it,” He said giving a half shrug, feeling self-conscious. 

“I think gamers will really like this. Honestly, there is so much going on here that is concise and follows a great story line. I know that if I saw this game, I would want to play it.”

Bellamy didn’t know how to respond, he hardly expected her to be this accepting of his first idea. Not that he was complaining, he just felt awkward. He wanted this barrier to go away that he felt holding them back from each other, the one that kept them from speaking as freely as they used to.

They sat in silence for a long moment, neither wanting to speak and ruin what was there, the feeling they both felt.

“Bellamy-” Clarke started to say.

“Clarke-” Bellamy froze, realizing he spoke at the same time she did.

“Go ahead,” they said in unison, both falling silent again.

“Bellamy, I…” Clarke clenched her fists. “I can’t thank you enough for being here for me. You were always so kind and generous to everyone.”

Bellamy sat back, sighing. “Clarke, do you ever wonder sometimes why I do what I do, or did, for you?” He asked, tilting his head.

Clarke finally managed to meet his gaze, her eyes beginning to tear up. “It’s because you’re a good person, Bellamy. You always care so much about other people.”

“Other people…” Bellamy repeated. “You’re right, I do care about my friends and of course I would help them if they needed me. But Clarke, I-” He stopped short, shaking his head.

“Never mind, let’s just focus on the game.”

Clarke swallowed hard, she wanted to run around the desk and hold him and tell him everything she was feeling. Why was this always the hardest part for her? Why couldn’t she just be honest with him? 

She stood rapidly, her chair shoving back into the glass, startling Bellamy who was already half-way to the door. He stared at her, his expression one of pure confusion.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

Clarke moved around the desk to close the distance between them.

“I fucked up, Bell. I know I never should have left you, and you’re right when you say I did what I thought was best for me. I ended things so that I wouldn’t get hurt, so that I wouldn’t have to feel the rejection of someone I love snapping the thread that held us together. I wish I had never done it and I live with that regret every single damn day. Please, please believe me when I say this, that I have never once felt for anyone else what I felt and still feel for you. You said my face haunted you, well yours haunted me. Every stranger on the street was you. Every man in a coffee shop was you.

“I tried to move on, I really did. But you were the only one I could see and the people I dated knew that. They broke up with me because they knew I wasn’t over you. I can’t go back and erase my mistakes, but I can try to do better in the future. The right now. Please, let me make this better, Bellamy.” She was so close to him now, she could count every freckle on his beautiful face, framed by his wild curls. 

She would never forget how soft his hair was, the way his skin felt under her palm. She reached out to him, taking his arms and trailing her hands down to his, holding them tightly.

“I-I love you, Bellamy.” She hesitated before continuing, “Most ardently.”

Bellamy recognized the last part, it was from his favorite book Pride & Prejudice. Once a long time ago, she had compared herself to Mr. Darcy, and he had joked: “I guess that makes me Elizabeth Bennet.”

They’d laughed about it for a long time, and now here she stood, her expression pleading for him to see that she was being honest with him. He didn’t know how to feel about the circumstances.

“I-” He started, stopping and looking down. “I want to believe you, Clarke. But I’m not sure if I can let you in.”

Clarke nodded, squeezing his hands. “I know. I haven’t shown you I’m trustworthy again. Just please, give me a chance to show you that I can make this better.”

Bellamy stared deep into her eyes, seeing her earnest intentions. He gave her a small smile, returning the hand squeeze.

“You aren’t the only one who messed up, Clarke. I could have gone after you. I could have told you how I felt, maybe we could have figured this out a long time ago.”

“We can’t dwell on what might have been, Bell. Let’s just make tomorrow better, okay?” Clarke said, smiling. “I’ll show you I’m not who I was.”

Bellamy nodded, he pulled her to him unable to stop himself, stroking her soft blonde hair. He relished this moment, the embrace he missed since their last meeting. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply, it had been a long time since he felt this sense of comfort.

Clarke held him tightly, her arms wrapping around his broad shoulders, her face pressed into his shoulder. She didn’t want to let go of this moment, afraid that if she did, she would wake up and it would all be a dream. A sad, beautiful dream that she could never reach again.

When they finally separated, Bellamy looked bashful. It reminded her of the first time he asked her out, he had been so nervous, hands tucked into his pockets, cheeks turning bright red as he stuttered through the question. Clarke knew there was no going back, but she wanted to go back and savor all those moments. 

“I’d better go,” he whispered softly into her hair. 

Clarke squeezed him once more, enjoying the feeling. 

“Right,” she said, letting him go and smiling. 

“I can walk you out,” he said, gesturing. 

“Thank you, but I have some things to finish here at the office. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Bellamy took her hand, giving it a loving squeeze before leaving.

Clarke picked up her phone after Bellamy left to call her mom. 

“Hey mom, are you busy?” She asked, taking a seat at her desk.

Clarke wasn’t sure how to ask her mother about this situation, so instead she rattled off about other work issues and letting her mom vent about her unfair work. Finally, Clarke was silent for a long time and Abby paused.

“Clarke, why did you really call me?” she asked.

Clarke rested her face in her palm, feeling her heart ache. “I… do you remember Bellamy?”

“Oh, you mean the only good guy you ever dated? Yeah, I remember him.”

“Mom!” She said, surprised by Abby’s tone.

“What? I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true! I don’t know why you ever broke up with him, honestly.”

“Mom, stop. That’s who I am calling about.”

“Oh?”

The long pause made Clarke feel nervous, she fidgeted. 

“Yes. He is working here now with me and I may have confessed my love for him.” She cringed. “Am I insane?! Why would I do that?”

Abby remained silent as her daughter broke down over the phone, freaking out in the same way she used to as a teenager.

“I mean, who am I to tell him that? I’m the asshole who broke his heart and basically ruined all my friendships with everyone! I didn’t even get to know Emori, who by the way, seemed super cool. John’s an idiot. But no more than me, I guess.” She sighed, letting her head hit desk.

“Ow. Mom, am I an idiot?”

“No. I always knew how you felt about Bellamy, even when you pretended you didn’t miss him. I could tell when you were thinking about him. You would get this distant look on your eyes and stare off into the sky, that’s when I knew you were thinking of him. Love can make you do stupid things, Clarke. But telling the man you couldn’t forget that you love him? That doesn’t make you an idiot.”

Clarke felt the tears in her eyes again. She hated how much she was crying today. First with Bellamy, now with her mom. 

“It hurts, mom.”

“Being away from him?”

Clarke nodded her head, forgetting her mother couldn’t see her. Not that it mattered, Abby always knew what her daughter was doing.

“What are you doing talking to me then? You should be with him.”

“Mom, he just left. He doesn’t want to see me again so soon.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Clarke. Go to him.”

Clarke hung up, staring at the ceiling before jumping out of her chair, grabbing her purse and running headfirst down the hallway and toward the elevator. The doors opened and Finn stood in front of her.

“Shit,” she said without meaning to. Realizing her mistake, she cleared her throat, stepping into the elevator.

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

“I came to check up on you, Clarke. You were alone with  _ him _ for so long, I got worried. I brought you coffee,” He said, smiling as he held up the cup. 

Clarke turned to him. “Why were you worried about Bellamy and I? Is that any of your concern at all?”

Finn blinked. “Clarke, you are my concern. I thought you knew that? I thought you knew that I have always loved you.” He leaned in toward her, she felt herself recoil.

“Whoa! Finn! What the hell? First of all, I am not your concern. I am my own person, and I don’t need you worrying about me. Second of all, how dare you try to kiss me without my permission. That’s gross and rude. Finn, you’ve always been a good friend, and only recently have I begun to see how toxic you truly are for me. Please don’t approach me anymore at work and just do your job. Also-” She took the coffee. “I hate this type of blend.” She threw it in the trash can as she stepped out into the hallway.

Clarke didn’t wait for him to defend himself, she took off running for the car that had just pulled around for her. She jumped in, taking the keys from the valet. She hesitated, should she really go see him? Would he like that? She bit her lip, glancing up and seeing Finn standing in the bright foyer. It was better than going back inside to that. Finn did not take rejection well, and she wasn’t about to put up with his shit, not tonight.

She started her car, pulling off onto the main stretch. She just needed to see him, just a glimpse of him. 


	5. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, this is the last chapter. I know the story wasn't long and I didn't get to post as much as I should have. These shifts at work make me very zombie-esque and it's actually really tiring tbh. Anyway, I really hope you all enjoyed my cheesy silly story. I really just wanted to write a nice little fluffy story that will hopefully make you smile. If I participate in this again next year, I will try better! I'm just a mess right now. Please enjoy this last chapter!
> 
> Side note: The band Marianas Trench and their Album: Phantoms REALLY helped me write this whole fic. A few of the chapters are named after their songs. Give them a listen if you like. :) Happy Bellarking!

Bellamy sighed, leaning against his closed door. He looked at the dark living room, Octavia was asleep by now. He slumped to the ground, pushing his hair from his face. 

“Shit,” he muttered. Finally, he managed to get up and go into the kitchen.

“AH!” He screamed. A woman he didn’t recognize sat at the table, her brown hair tugged back into a loose ponytail.

“Wow, aren’t we jumpy,” she said, amused by his reaction.

“Who are you?!”

“I’m Charmaine Diyoza. Most people just call me Diyoza, I’m Octavia’s Girlfriend."

“Oh, right. I forgot she said you would be here.” Bellamy sighed, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He was surprised O had Charmaine over. She had told Bell she wanted to know for sure before she brought her girlfriends over. He glanced at Charmaine, Octavia must've figured it out. 

“Are you alright?”

“Huh?”

“You seem upset by something.” Diyoza tilted her head, her dark eyes searching his face.

Bellamy snorted. “You could say that.”

She patted the seat next to her. “Why don’t you tell me about it?”

Bellamy arched a brow. “Why would I? I don’t even know you.”

“Yeah, that’s true. But sometimes the best people to talk to are strangers. They don’t have any personal stock in your life and will have an objective opinion.”

He blinked, nodding. “You’re right,” he said as he sank into the chair across from her.

“So what’s going on?” 

“Do you want me to start at the beginning?”

“Whatever works for you, buddy. I’m just a helpful stranger, ready to listen.” She sipped her coffee, smiling.

“Right. Well, it all started in high school,” He started from the very beginning, outlining the important details, explaining everything and how his relationship with Clarke went south during a very bad part in his life. He told her about how his mother had been used as a patsy for Griffin Gaming, her reputation smeared across every public newspaper and TV channel, she was unable to find work again and fell into a state of depression so bad that she couldn’t even get out of bed. He started working shortly after, designing video games. He even won awards for his work, and then his mother grew worse and she was rushed to the hospital where she died a few months later.

He continued to work, but found his love of games fading with every passing day. He took up a different job, and then when his mother’s life insurance came in, he took a break to make sure his sister was set for college and that all the bills were paid off. Then he started looking for work again. Bellamy told her about his run in with Clarke, the start of his job, it had only been a two or three weeks, but his old feelings were awakened on the day she came to his apartment to ask him for help.

“I just couldn’t turn her away. More than anything, I wanted to hold her and let her know that I would be there for her. I know it’s not her fault that my mother-” He shook his head. “Her father did that, she can’t be held responsible. She just thought I would blame her eventually and stop loving her because of it. I- I never stopped loving her, Diyoza. Even when I felt furious with her, the only thing I wanted to do was hold her. Yes, she left me. But-” he pulled out his phone. “She thought I disabled this phone. I didn’t. She called me, left me messages for six years. She spoke her mind, telling me how she truly felt and what she wished she had done differently. How could I be angry at her?” 

Diyoza hummed, sitting back in her chair. “Wow, that was a lot to take in. Do you want my advice?”

“Oddly enough, I do.”

“It is clear to me that you still love this Clarke girl. If I were you, I would take this encounter as a blessing and embrace it. This is a clear sign from the “greater powers” that you two are meant to be together, and to snub such an offering would be, well, ridiculous.”

“Even after everything that happened?” He asked.

Diyoza took a long draw of her coffee, letting the silence settle between them. “If I had a chance to grab the one I loved again, hold them close and never let them go, do you think I would squander that chance? Look, as far as I’m concerned, you get one - honest to God - true love in your life. If you decide to throw that love away, that’s on you, Bell. That’s just my two cents.”

“Charmaine?” Octavia said, groggily coming into the kitchen. “Why are you out here with Bell?”

Diyoza smiled, pulling Octavia to her and nuzzling her. “We were just discussing love, that’s all.”

Octavia peered at Bellamy. “Love?” She asked, her lips curving into a knowing smile.

Bellamy gave her a look, leaning back in his chair.

“Yep.” Diyoza stood, her arm around Octavia. “My opinion, Bellamy, hold her close and don’t ever let her go again.” She squeezed Octavia as they left the kitchen.

Octavia glanced back, holding tightly to Diyoza. “Don’t let go,” she echoed Diyoza’s words.

Bellamy looked into his coffee mug, he wasn’t sure how long he stayed that way when a knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts. He stood, going to the door. Who could it be this early in the morning? He wondered, pulling it open.

Clarke stood in front of him, her hair disheveled, breathing heavily.

He blinked, unsure if she was really there or if he was imagining things. 

“Clarke?” He asked. 

“I-I had to see you.”

Bellamy stepped aside, letting her in. “Okay, what’s up?”

Clarke stood awkwardly, her hands fidgeting with her purse strap. Bellamy heard a creak, glancing down the hall he saw Diyoza and Octavia peering out of their room. Diyoza nodded her head at Clarke, nodding with approval. Octavia’s hands were clasped over her mouth.

Bellamy turned back to Clarke who had yet to notice the two peeping toms. 

“Clarke, are you alright?” He reached out, his hand settling on her arm. “Are you hurt?”

Clarke looked up. “I- Never mind, this was stupid. I should go.” She turned ready to run, Bellamy’s hand stopped her from going too far.

“Wait,” he said quietly. “Clarke.”

The way he said her name gave her chills. She looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears. He looked soft now, his cold demeanor gone, replaced by the one she knew from all those years ago.

“Bellamy?”

She didn’t get a chance to ask anything else as his lips gently touched hers. She blinked, surprised. Her purse clattered to the floor, her hands shaking. When he pulled back to look into her eyes, she saw he was waiting for her to make the next move. He didn’t want to overstep his boundaries. She pulled his closer, returning the soft kiss with a pleading one. Her lips begging him for the forgiveness she was seeking, her whole body was shaking now as she held onto his shoulders.

Bellamy wrapped his arms around her, holding her stable as they kissed. Her hands found his soft curls as his hands pressed her closer to his own body. He wanted her close, closer than he could get her right now, the desire to be with her was so strong, it overcame all his other instincts. 

When they parted, taking small gulps of air, Bellamy resting his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes, letting his warmth engulf her.

“You mean everything to me,” he whispered, his breath tickling her face.

Clarke felt her heart leap into her throat, she smiled as giggles rose in her. She gripped his arms, never wanting to let go.

“I won’t ever let you go again,” he said, more firmly this time. “I will never leave you behind again.”

She laughed breathily, unable to stop herself as the elation filled her to the point that she thought she might break from it. 

Bellamy walked with her over to the couch where they sat facing each other, their legs intertwined.

“Bellamy, every day I prayed for your forgiveness for my mistakes. I forgot how much you meant to me and instead of telling you how sorry I was, I just let every day slip by without an explanation.”

Bellamy gripped her hands. “Clarke, I got your calls.”

Clarke’s head jerked up, her face turning pale as a heavy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. “What?” She croaked.

“I never disabled my old phone. I let all your calls go to voicemail. For a long time, I didn’t bother to listen to them. Then one day, I got the courage and listened to all of them.”

“W-when did you listen to them?”

“Recently. I needed to know what you said all those years.”

The silence settled between them like a weighted blanket. Clarke couldn’t even imagine what he was thinking, after all those calls she made and he never replied, she thought they had been lost to time. Now he was gazing at her with an unreadable expression, tears pricking his eyes.

“What are you thinking?” She managed to ask.

“That I was a fool to ever let you go.”

“I let you go, remember?” 

“We let each other go. I said this before, I could have chased after you and told you how I was feeling. I could have done  _ something _ . Instead, I let my anger fill me and drive me. No relationship lasted for me beyond a few months, they all realized I wasn’t fully in the relationship and it soured, because I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I gave up dating after a while, because what was the point?” He shook his head.

Clarke blinked back tears, hating the ache in her chest. “I was so stupid,” she said, a sob choking out the ending of her words. “So stupid.”

Bellamy pulled her to him, kissing her forehead gently. They sat in peaceful silence for a long time, Clarke’s head resting on his chest, their breaths flowing together in rhythm. 

“Are you staying the night?” He finally asked, brushing her blonde hair from her forehead.

“Do you want me to?” 

Bellamy laughed. “Have you ever known me to ask for something I didn’t want?”

Clarke lifted her head, smiling up at him. “I haven’t, my dear Mr. Blake.”

“Please don’t call me that, you know it freaks me out.”

She laughed, then clapped a hand over her mouth, realizing Octavia was asleep in the other room. “Sorry,” she whispered.

“It’s alright. I wouldn’t worry about her,” he said, glancing at the now closed bedroom door.

\------  
  


Bellamy wasn’t even sure how to behave the next day as he made breakfast for Clarke. Octavia and Charmaine hadn’t emerged from the room yet, which made Bellamy think they were waiting to hear what might happen. 

Clarke walked into the kitchen, smiling as her cheeks reddened.

“Hey,” she said shyly.

“Hi.”

They laughed awkwardly as Clarke took a seat at the table. He could feel her eyes on him as he cooked. He still remembered her favorite breakfast: an eggy in a basket with a side of bacon and hot black coffee.

“Here you go.” He put the plate on the table in front of her, putting his own next to hers and taking a seat.

“Wow, thank you. This looks amazing.” She bit into the bread, grinning as the buttery flavor filled her mouth. “It’s been a long time since I had this.”

Bellamy smiled, eating and enjoying her company when the door to his sister’s room opened.

“I want to see!” Octavia burst into the room, Charmaine was holding onto his sister, obviously trying to hold her back from walking into this situation.

“Hi Clarke!” Octavia chirped, wiggling her eyebrows at Bellamy who glared at her.

Charmaine mouthed an apology to Bellamy as she leaned in the kitchen doorway.

“Want coffee?" Octavia asked, holding the pot up for Charmaine to see.

“Sure, might as well now that we are here,” she said. 

Clarke glanced at Bellamy, her eyes widening a little. “I thought-”

“Yeah, you missed a lot,” he said quietly. “Don’t bring it up, it tends to make her upset.”

She nodded, sipping her coffee instead, watching as Octavia and Charmaine giggled and teased each other while getting their food. She smiled, feeling the warmth of the scene wash over her.

Octavia and Charmaine took seats at the table, chatting to Bellamy and Clarke as if nothing had ever changed between them.

Afterward, Clarke found Octavia in the bathroom. She hesitated, knocking on the door frame.

“Clarke, the doors open. You don’t have to knock,” Octavia said, snorting as she brushed her hair.

“Right. I just didn’t want to be rude. Octavia, I wanted to talk to you about-”

“The past?” Octavia looked at Clarke’s reflection. 

“Yeah. I’m really sorry about everything that happened. You should know, I always cared about you and your brother, even when we weren’t together. You were like my own sister,” she said, nervous sweat trickling down the back of her neck. She didn’t know how Octavia was going to react, because Octavia had been known for her wild streak.

Octavia sighed, setting her brush down as she turned to face the blonde waiting for her reply. She crossed her arms, arching a brow. 

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t angry at you, because not only did you hurt my brother, you hurt me too. I always felt that we were close and then one day you were just gone. It was tough, especially with everything that was going on in our lives. But Clarke, I realized that you were hurting just as much as we were and when I figured that out, it became a lot easier to forgive you. I appreciate you wanting to discuss it because you are worried about me. I promise you, I forgave you a long time ago.” 

Octavia closed the distance between them, hugging Clarke with a hard squeeze. Clarke returned the embrace, holding Octavia tightly.

“I missed you,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

She heard Octavia laugh. “I missed you too.”

“Whoa, what’s going on here?” Charmaine asked, her face bright with a smile. Octavia reached out to her girlfriend.

“Come get some!” she said, pushing Clarke out of the room and into Charmaine’s embrace.

“Ah!” Clarke exclaimed, trying not to fall over. They started giggling and laughing uncontrollably as they held Clarke in their embrace. She felt tears brimming in her eyes, she never expected to be accepted like this again, not in the Blake household. Yet, here Octavia was extending an olive branch to make things better. 

Bellamy watched the scene from the kitchen, smiling as they eventually tumble to the ground, unable to maintain their balance. He winced as they set into a fit of giggles, lying on the floor, struggling to get back on their feet.

“I hate to interrupt this little party, but Clarke and I have to get to work.” He approached the pile, holding his hand out to help them up. Clarke grabbed his hand, letting him pull her up. She smiled up at him, her blue eyes sparkling with joy.

“Aw, way to break up the party,” Octavia pouted jokingly.

“They have important things to do today, O.” Charmaine sat up, winking at Bellamy who cleared his throat, his cheeks darkening. 

“Right, I guess I am going in what I wore yesterday,” Clarke said, looking down at her clothes. 

“Or you could borrow something of mine?” Octavia offered.

Clarke nodded slowly, open to the idea but a little unsure. Octavia was still smaller in build than her, she wondered if this was a good idea. She didn’t have time to rethink it as Octavia dragged her into the room, closing the door behind them. Clarke was handed a few outfits to try on as Octavia rambled about what would look best and still professional.

“I like this one, personally!” Octavia chirped, sitting on the bed as Clarke looked in the mirror, examining herself.

“The shirt is a little tight, O.” She tugged on the hem, feeling a little self-conscious.

“Nah, you look good. Plus, you’re the boss. What are they gonna do?”

“I guess so.” Clarke shrugged. “Thanks. I really didn’t want to go into work dressed the same as yesterday.”

Octavia smirked. “I bet.”

“Uh, yeah. I’m gonna go now. Bye.” She waved awkwardly, fleeing the room as Octavia continued to watch her with a knowing smile. 

“Come on, let’s go.” She grabbed Bellamy’s arm, who looked startled by her sudden appearance.

“Oh, okay. I guess we are leaving,” he said, waving as the front door closed behind them. “Someone is in a rush to get to work.”

“Yeah, work.” Clarke felt the heat on her the back of her neck, she unlocked her car door. “Where are you going?” She asked when she saw Bellamy heading for his car.

“Oh, I thought-”

“Come on, Bell. We are riding together,” she said, shaking her head as climbed into the car. Bellamy looked around and got into the passenger side, sinking into the plush leather seats. 

He didn’t say anything on the drive to work, he wasn’t really sure what to say at this point. They were already reverting back to their old patterns, the ones that felt right and comfortable. He reached over, taking her hand and holding it while watching her.

Clarke glanced at him, smiling as the wind blew her blonde hair from her face. 

“Hey, what are you thinking about?” She asked.

“You.”

The blatant reply threw her, and she fell silent, her cheeks burning. She felt disappointed when they pulled up to Arc Games. She looked over at him, squeezing his hand.

“You have to let go or I can’t get out,” she said sweetly.

Bellamy nodded. “I know.” He gazed at her with an intensity that made Clarke blush and turned her head away as she slowly slid her hand from his, exiting the car. He followed her, arriving at her side, he took her hand again as they strolled into the building.

She looked up at him, smiling. 

Bellamy didn’t really care if anyone was watching or what they might think, all he knew was that he had been waiting for a long time to hold her again and he wasn’t going to let go of her. 

When the elevator doors opened to their main floor, Bellamy saw many people glancing over at them and whispering. Some openly gawked, while others giggled at the sight of their boss and her boyfriend. He couldn’t resist the smile that came to his face, he squeezed her hand as they went into her office.

An unwanted sight brought them both to a halt. Finn stood in her office, his back to them, arms crossed as he gazed out the window. Bellamy felt his annoyance rise as he watched Finn turned around to face them. The startled expression told him all he needed to know: Finn hadn’t been expecting this.

“Clarke!” He blurted.

“That’s Ms. Griffin,” Bellamy corrected him, pinning him with a narrowed gaze.

Finn lifted his chin in defiance. “What are you doing?”

Clarke released Bellamy’s hand, stepping toward Finn.

“What are you doing is a better question. Why are you in my office?”

“I was waiting for you.”

“Why? I thought I made myself very clear last night,” She said coldly. “If you can’t separate work life from personal life, then perhaps you need a few days off to get your head straight.” 

The room fell silent, Clarke glaring down Finn who clenched his fists while Bellamy waited for him to do something stupid. He was ready to stop anything that might happen, not that Clarke couldn’t handle herself, he had just been waiting to do something about Finn since High School because he had always been trying to get between them. 

Finn’s head finally dropped as he released a heavy sigh.

“I think I’ll take those days off,” he said, moving around Clarke. He didn’t bother to look at Bellamy, knowing what he would see. Bellamy watched him go, looking back at Clarke once he was out of sight.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah. It’s just…” She waved her hand, taking a seat behind her desk with a sad smile. “He has been working with my father since he graduated High School, he attended college while helping here. It’s hard to realize that someone isn’t who you thought they were.”

He nodded in agreement, taking a seat across from her. “I know, I’m sorry.”

Clarke shrugged. “Let’s bring the others in and get this started.” 

Raven and Monty were brought in first before anyone else, they took their seats glancing between Clarke and Bellamy. As far as they were concerned, these two were only on working terms. 

“Alright, so I’ve asked you both here because Bellamy has come up with a game idea that will be incorporated into the world you two are building. It will give your world more depth and more characters. After you hear what it is, please let me know how you feel about it. I don’t want to take away from what you two are making, but I want to use what you have already.”

Monty tilted his head. “I mean, Raven and I have a story already written for the game,” he pointed out.

“Yes, I’m aware of that, Monty. I think that after you hear Bellamy’s idea, you’re really going to like what he will do with you. We need to announce a game soon to hype everyone up, we will be doing a few small releases that will lead into the bigger game. It’s going to be a lot of work, but in the end, I think it will be worth it.” Clarke smiled.

Raven hesitated, finally shrugging. “Alright, let’s hear this big idea.” She looked at Bellamy expectantly. 

“Okay, here goes nothing. The story will arc over three separate games. Two will be for smaller platforms, while the big one will be for the main gaming systems. The first one of the smaller two will be an origin story game: where the people of the main game came from and how they ended up in that situation. The second one will be more of an exploration game. In this game, you will be a character who was separated from the main story line and things happen on the world they are on, as events unfold, you slowly begin to realize this game will eventually tie in with the main game as well. In fact, it will be critical to the main game.

“The main game will feature two protagonists who don’t seem as if they will be very important to each other at first. Then as they continue through their lives, trying to survive on this unknown world, they begin to realize they need each other and to survive in this harsh environment with the people around them, they need to trust each other. The players will get a chance to play both of the main characters. I would suggest a separate path for each one, but that might be too much. Instead, you will decide who the main character is you play. Most scenes will have them being together, while others will change the way the story plays out. The choices you make in the game bring you to the three endings, depending on how you played, you will get an ending based on your choices.” Bellamy paused, watching their faces.

“Okay, real quick, what type of world are these characters living in?” Raven asked.

“It’s Sci-fi. Their world died, the first small game will be about the humans figuring out how to get off world. The second game is about a research group that did make it off world, and are trying out a new world to see if it is habitable for humans. The main game will be how those survivors exist in space and then when things go badly, have to make their way to a new planet or else die in space. There will be all kinds of monsters, trials, and ways to improve the weapons you carry. The gamer will be able to purchase upgrade at shops or find the plans to upgrade the weapons they carry currently. Obviously there will be some weapons better than others, but it really is up to how you play,” He said, resting back against his chair.

Monty was nodding, taking in every detail. “And do we have names for the protagonists?” 

“Not yet, that’s something we will have to do. However since the game you two are working on is pretty far along in the environmental department, and since it is also a survival game, it wouldn’t be hard to incorporate this cast into that world.”

“I mean, you’re not wrong. We would have to make a few changes, but nothing so drastic that we couldn’t handle it,” Monty agreed, looking at Raven for confirmation since this was her game as well.

“Alright, I agree. I like the idea, it’s pretty cool,” She said. “I have one small stipulation.”

“Shoot,” Clarke said.

“There needs to be a badass engineer, a female, who helps the main characters.”

Clarke and Bellamy glanced at each other smiling. “Deal,” they said in unison.

Monty laughed, shaking his head. “Cool, well we’ve got a lot to do if we are going to get these games ready for launch. I’ll get some teams together and Bellamy, you and I can break down the games for them.”

“Sounds good.” Bellamy stood, looking back at Clarke who smiled brightly.

Monty looked at Raven as they left Clarke's office, nodding his head at them. “Do you think they made up?”

Raven snorted. “I always knew they would be fine if they could just be in the same room together long enough to hash it out. Those two have been destined since middle school.” She shook her head. 

“I think so too.”

Once Monty and Raven were out of earshot, Bellamy came around the desk to Clarke.

“Something’s worrying you?”

She hummed. “I just don’t want to disappoint anyone. We are running on a very tight budget and I need everything to be seamless, otherwise…” She trailed off, sighing.

Bellamy covered her hand with his, squeezing it. “We will be fine, Clarke. We will get through this, together.”

“Together,” she repeated, smiling and leaning up to kiss him softly on the lips. This was not the end, but the beginning.


End file.
